Michael Krumm
A German racing driver who mastered Japan's premier GT series, becoming a multiple champion and a fixture in its motorsport culture.
Born 1970 (age 56)·German racing driver·Birthday: March 19·Generation X
Biography
Michael Krumm carved out an exceptional career by becoming a German star in the heart of Japanese motorsport. After early success in European Formula Three, he shifted his focus to sports car racing and found a lasting home in the All-Japan Grand Touring Championship (JGTC, later Super GT). Driving for powerhouse teams like TOM'S and Nismo, he developed a reputation for blistering speed and technical precision, winning the prestigious GT500 class championship in 1997 and again in 2003. His adaptability was further proven when he claimed the FIA GT1 World Championship title in 2011. Krumm's deep ties to Japanese racing extended beyond the cockpit; after retiring from full-time driving, he moved into a team management role with TOM'S, helping to guide the next generation of talent in the series he helped define.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Michael was born in 1970, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Michael Was Born
The biggest hits of 1970
#1 Movie
Love Story
Best Picture
Patton
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Michael's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1970Born
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1975Started school
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1983Became a teenager
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Could drive
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1988Could vote
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1991Turned 21
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2000Turned 30
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 40
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 50
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 56 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the All-Japan GT Championship (JGTC) GT500 class title twice, in 1997 with TOM'S and in 2003 with Nismo.
- Secured the FIA GT1 World Championship drivers' title in 2011 driving for the JR Motorsports team.
- Finished third overall at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1999, driving a Toyota GT-One.
- Served as a test and reserve driver for the Jordan Grand Prix Formula One team in the mid-1990s.
Did You Know?
He is married to former Japanese racing driver and TV personality Keiko Ihara.
He won the prestigious Suzuka 1000km race, a classic Japanese endurance event, three times (1997, 2003, 2008).
After his driving career, he became the team manager for TOM'S in the Super GT series.
He competed in the Dakar Rally in 2020 as a co-driver for fellow German racer Timo Gottschalk.
“To win in Japan, you must respect the culture and master the craft of endurance.”
